


Not Really, No

by reiyawrites



Series: Heavenly Beings AU [1]
Category: NCT (Band), WayV | 威神V
Genre: And His Demon Florist BF Dejun, And Yukhei Falls in Love with Angel Reader, Doyoung's Literally The Devil, Featuring Your Ride or Die BFFFL Hendery, Gen, It's A Demon AU, Jaehyun is Fate's Companion, Jungwoo's Bad I'm (Not) Sorry, M/M, That's it that's the plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:09:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22626865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reiyawrites/pseuds/reiyawrites
Summary: One wouldn’t consider Yukhei to be a demon, per se. His heart was much too soft to be a creature that lurked from hell, much less its’ prince. It wasn’t a surprise that he refused to corrupt you, even when it cost him his status.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung, Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun, Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas/Reader
Series: Heavenly Beings AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1627873
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	Not Really, No

**Author's Note:**

> ayyy it's your homegirl reiya  
> let me know if y'all want me to write anything else lmao
> 
> let it be known that while i was writing this inside of every demon is a rainbow was on repeat for six hours

To be the Prince of Hell, General of the Abyssal Void, with blood shedding by his feet quite literally every second of the day, was not something that Wong Yukhei decided to do when he rowed on over to the afterlife. Not to toot his own horn, but he thought that he shouldn’t be here at all.

And it was something he absolutely hated to be, to know that his name was stained with a position that he didn’t ask for. To know that the denizens of Hell admired him, looking at him as if he was the image of the perfect cold-blooded monster that they dreamed to be in this dog eat dog world.

He hated it, he despised it.

He wanted to be rid of it.

Yet how could he?

There was no redemption arc for him here, it was but a land of suffering and one thousand tortures. 

But every once in a while, Yukhei got to feel like he was normal, like he wasn’t even a demon, a creature made of fire and sins. A time where he was surrounded with nothing but laughter and joy that reserved themselves as coping mechanisms with the horrors down in Hell that he had to watch over. A time where his head was empty of those self-deprecating thoughts, and he wished everything to last just a little longer.

That once in a while was with you. 

You, who was as pure as a person could be, who shouldn’t even be around him, not even within a kilometer’s radius. Yet you were there when he broke down and cried his heart’s contents out, and you were there by his side to comfort him from his stupor, whispered reassuring words that it was okay, you were there, and you’d never leave him, no matter what.

No matter what, Yukhei didn’t want to ruin what he had with you, he wanted to treasure it, protect it. He wanted to protect you, he didn’t want to ruin you.

Because of all the things that you could have been, you just had to be an angel.

-

“I hope you’re not going where I think you’re going.” The sharp tone in Doyoung’s voice made Yukhei freeze in his tracks, slowly turning around to see the man of the hour with arms crossed and a less-than-pleased scowl plastered on his face. He was, of course, none other than Hell’s General of Knights, and part-time babysitter. His own words, not Yukhei’s.

All that Yukhei managed to reply with a dry, nervous chuckle.

“Don’t even try to lie to me, I know you’re going to go meet up with that goody-two-shoes of a clouds’ ass kisser on the mortal plane.” Doyoung’s snarl sent shivers down his spine, which wasn’t even supposed to be possible. He was the prince of Hell, nothing could scare him.

Except Doyoung.

Of course, had circumstances been different, he would’ve had zero problems on letting Yukhei frolic around on the mortal plane and perhaps, even allowing him to be with that angel that he was fond of. The devil’s heart wasn’t made of stone after all.

But that’s exactly what’s stopping him.

It was you.

His snake-like eyes softened at the crestfallen expression on his face and let out a sigh.

Perhaps, he could bend the rules, just this once.

“You know what, just don’t get caught. I’m already tired of covering your footsteps here. Don’t create a mess on Earth either.” With a flick of his wrist that screamed ‘be gone, thot’, Doyoung turned the other way and pretended as if he knew nothing.

Yukhei made a note to himself to buy those colourful, sweet biscuits from that bakery that Doyoung liked so much.

-

If Yukhei had to count your imperfections, it would be none. 

Your voice itself was nothing but the sweetest music to his ears, your smile was a painting that should be in every gallery, and he couldn’t get enough of the golden glow hour effect whenever you were around him. 

Now was no different than others.

Even if it was poorly placed. 

For instance, in this cafe that your human friend was working as a waiter.

“Whoa there, buddy. Might wanna tone down on the heart eyes.” Hendery snorted, placing their drinks down in front of them. Snapping out of his love struck trance, Yukhei stuck his tongue out at the waiter, the latter reciprocating the action.

You scoffed at the childish banter between the two boys but really, you didn’t resist the fond smile creeping up your lips.

“Oh, hush up, Hendery, we all know that you’re crushin’ hard on that cute florist across the street!”

At the slightest mention, Hendery’s face flared up and he tried to hide behind the tray, all the while whining at you. Yukhei’s eyes grew wide with fascination at the possibility that Hendery had a crush, and leaned in closer to not-so-whisper obnoxiously.

“OMG! Spill the tea!” 

Which earned him a smack on the head with said tray.

“Hendery!”

“It’s okay, it’s not like he can feel it anyways.” 

He huffed indignantly and rubbed his head anyways, despite the truth of the statement. A shout of Hendery’s name echoed from within the kitchen and he scuttled back to his work. Yukhei chuckled, resting his chin on his propped up palm.

“Crush on a florist, huh?” Your smile was laced with coy knowing.

“Leave it up to him to live out the cliches. But I’ll give him some credit, Xiaojun’s cute.” 

Xiaojun?

Why was his name so…familiar?

Peering out the window, said flower shop stood across the street in all its’ pink-white colour scheme glory, its’ numerous flower pots with their blossoms on display rack outside of the shop. In the middle of the floral sea was…

None other than Dejun.

His most trusted Knight, Leader of the First Division.

And little human Hendery…has a crush on him.

You perked up when Yukhei muttered an ‘excuse me’ and promptly left you alone in the cafe, dazed and confused. Well, that was what he presumed, anyways.

Hendery walked up to you, eyes trailing after the boy crossing the street before looking down at you. Your own were filled with twinkling emotion, as it always did, but this time, it was hazy, clouded with unknown intentions for the future.

For Yukhei.

“He’s either the DUMBEST demon I’ve ever known in my entire eons of existing or he’s playing us like a fiddle.” Hendery said, crossing his arms. “Are you sure he’s the Prince of Hell?”

“Not too loud, Guanheng. Not too loud.” You said lowly, taking a sip of your drink, though you reeled back at the sweetness. Hendery, or Guanheng, grumbled a ‘sorry’ before sitting in front of you. 

“Though, I’m surprised. He thinks you’re a human. Is my charm really that effective?” You said, gaze locked on the amulet hanging from his neck. A fox tail charm dangled from it, the source of his masked identity.

“I don’t expect less from you. You’re the best after all.” This elicited laughter from you and you shook your head in a feeble attempt to be humble. 

Guanheng never did know what you thought at times, even though you’d been stuck like glue ever since you both were created. You confided in each other, and stuck to the tradition of wishing each other well on missions set by the Archangels.

But there was one mission that you had never, ever let him know about, let alone look at the file that you were given prior to when you had to go to the mortal plane. The mission that would have granted you the highest position that all the angels coveted.

To become a part of the Archangels.

Only the Chosen were qualified to become guardian angels for the troubled souls below. You were one of them. And things were in your favor. If anything, you almost had Yukhei’s soul in your hands, certified for Heaven.

Until he was crowned Prince of Hell and you almost fell from grace because of it.

You weren’t the same but you were determined to fix what was undone. And so, you demanded a second chance from the Archangels, a second chance to atone for what had happened. Though no one dared to say so, any angel knew that you were destined to stand next to the Archangels one day. They gave you the chance you wanted.

“But,” The First Archangel’s voice boomed in your ears, “should you fail, you will be stripped completely from grace. No chance of atonement, you will be nothing more than a mere mortal.”

The Second Archangel’s eyes glinted with sympathy. “Are you sure that you want to carry this out?”

But they already knew the answer. 

Despite not wanting any part of it, Guanheng found himself stepping up to you and pledged loyalty to you. To no avail that you attempted to stop him from doing so, he was just as stubborn as a donkey. He wouldn’t question why you would want to do this, you knew best after all.

But Guanheng wondered what went wrong.

-

“Of all the places I’d find you in, a flower shop’s probably at the bottom of the list.”

Dejun’s blood turn into glaciers. He stopped pruning the flower in front of him yet he didn’t turn around because that was, for sure, a sentence for death if he did. Time ceased to move in the way that he wished it didn’t and he dared not move even a single muscle. 

“Won’t you even greet your prince, _Xiaojun _?”__

____

____

With his head bowed low, Dejun obeyed.

“My liege.” He whispered, oh so quietly that you’d have to strain your ear to hear it.

Footsteps thudded closer until Yukhei’s cologne stung his nostrils, his body fighting back the instinct to flinch. It was deathly quiet in the shop, the only sound being the ringing of the ceiling fan.

“Mind telling me what you’re doing down here on the mortal plane?” Dejun’s breath hitched.

The air was left silent too long for Yukhei’s taste. Clasping Dejun’s face roughly, Yukhei brought him close, to the point that he could see the fury swirling in reds and oranges in his eyes.

“I asked you a question, I expect you to answer.”

That was all he wanted, an answer.

But to have Dejun, Leader of the First Division, his most trusted warrior, present it to him with spilling tears and choked sobs before crumbling to his knees had him absolutely floored.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, my liege. If you must, execute me. I’m not worthy of being called your Knight, I’m not even worthy of being called a lowly demon. I betrayed my own kind.” Yukhei could barely make out his words between his body wracking sobs. Narrowing his eyes, he demanded that Dejun tell it to him straight, he had no time to waste.

Eyes red rimmed, tears still fresh, Dejun lifted his head and on his face was the most stricken expression he had ever seen.

“I…fell in love with an angel, my liege.”

-

Yukhei was not a person to point fingers. He was not someone who’d put all the blame on a side. No, he walked a thin line between empathy and self-blame. A fine thin line with the width of a hair split into seven.

Perhaps, Doyoung thought, that was his greatest weakness.

Doyoung wasn’t stupid. He was far from it. The moment Yukhei trudged through the doors of his throne room, he knew there was something wrong. Oh so deeply wrong, and he knew exactly what it was when Yukhei slumped on his throne.

“I know what you’re going to say, that I’m supposed to be more careful not to make any messes or mistakes.” Yukhei groaned, burying his head in his hands. “And you were right.”

Doyoung’s lips pressed into a thin line.

That’s what he hated most, really. Being right.

“I don’t…I don’t want to punish him. Not when I-“ He caught himself before it could come out but Doyoung knew the unspoken words.

_Not when I’m the same as him. ___

____

____

Three loud knocks reverberated within the room. Yukhei straightened his posture, face entering a facade of disinterest and indifference. His eyes turned steely, and his voice, no longer soft but powerful, ordered the visitor to enter. Doyoung watched this unfold with, he’d admit, a degree of admiration for him.

_If only you could stay like this. ___

____

____

Though, when Doyoung laid his gaze upon the supposed ‘visitor’, a hiss of his forked tongue couldn’t be held back when he saw Jungwoo. A demon of wise wits, and that was what made him so dangerous. He was a demon of contracts, who twisted words to his liking. Doyoung hated playing with fire, this demon was liquid proof of it, but most of all, Doyoung _hated _liars.__

____

____

And that was coming from a snake.

“My liege.” Jungwoo dropped down on one knee, bowing his head low. “Please forgive me for coming so suddenly but I bring a message from the Odd Circle.”

Doyoung narrowed his eyes, tongue flickering in suspicion. The Odd Circle were those who helped rule Hell, the ones who were put in charge, should he ever be absent in sense. They had a direct line to Yukhei. There was no medium required for a message to be sent.

“What is it?” Jungwoo raised his head, solemn.

“They need for you to carry out a task, my liege.” Yukhei furrowed his eyebrows. A task? Was it a meeting? A reformation?

Yet why couldn’t they just meet him?

Something about all this didn’t add up to him…

And he was proven right.

“They ask for you to corrupt an angel, my liege.”

Even grace could not cut through the tension that blanketed the atmosphere. Doyoung swore that blood would flow, no, flood over the lands, war would rage on and celestial bodies will clash.

And for once, Doyoung wished that he was in the wrong.

-

You loved loving.

Through it, you discovered so many things within the eons that you had lived through, like how Guanheng had a knack for making things on impulse. You loved to see them flourish, live out their lives like they were supposed to. You felt so sorry for the creatures that he turned into abyssal levels of lifeforms, never to see daylight just because he made them on a whim. 

Though, you did admit, they were a little…freaky looking.

You also loved how Jaehyun made people meet or fall in love. Rather than a bow and an arrow (“That’s so tacky,” he said to you some million years ago), he chose the tactic of tying red strings of Fate. 

“But I only tie them. Whatever happens next is up to them.” He explained once to you.

“Because if they ever fall out of love,” Jaehyun smiled in a way that you could almost say was guilt, “it’s up to them to cut the ties or untangle themselves from it. Rather than tearing love apart just to be free.”

Most of all, you loved watching humans’ go by their daily lives, each of them having stories of their own to tell. You cried when they cried, and laughed when they laughed.

That was when you were a fledgling, still young.

Now, you had no time to watch humans, you had your duties to tend to, missions by the Archangels handed, stacked file by file. They were mostly the low case files, and they eventually increased in difficulty. It perplexed you because Guanheng, your partner, mind you, kept receiving the low and medium case files.

Your questions were met with an answer, a single file handed to you by the Third Archangel, the youngest of them all, with Yukhei’s details in it.

“Guardian angel…?” You traced the engraved letters, the Third Archangel seemingly trying to avoid your gaze.

“Just until he recovers…or not at all. Until then, you are assigned to his side.”

You stared just a while longer at the file, taking in the details of ‘Yukhei’. Bedridden with an illness, his life mostly spent at the hospital, with parents trying their hardest to pay off the medical bills. His soul was slowly becoming despair ridden and you needed to prevent it from becoming worse.

The first time you met him was in your human form, bouquet in hand. When you entered his room, he was asleep, the sunlight from the window casting rays onto him just right. You would’ve given the word ‘handsome’ a second thought, had it not been for the fresh tear streaks down his cheeks.

If you had a heart, it surely would’ve broke.

You laid down the bouquet on the bed’s table, giving everything a once over. Flowers were neatly arranged, a little tag hanging off of it with a message written on it, it looked as perfect as it could be.

“Are you an angel?”

Those four words, they were damned, and it made you scream, it made you jump almost ten feet into the air. Whipping your head towards the source of the said voice, it was none other than an awake Yukhei, now alarmed, a contrast from his awestruck self a few seconds ago.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you! It’s just that, you were so heavenly and I just thought that I…well…” He looked off to the side, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. 

Well.

Was that how humans complimented each other? Surely, there were less confusing words?

“I’m not an angel, just some stranger passing through.”

“Then why are you giving me those?” He pointed towards the bouquet, eyes wide and curious. You giggled, they were like a doe’s eyes. What a curious little thing he was.

“I visit here to help around sometimes and each time, I saw that you were alone. I don’t want you to feel alone.” You smiled warmly, words that you rehearsed so many times flowing out like water.

Yukhei blinked owlishly, once, twice, and a gummy smile spread his lips, eyes curling into crescent moons. His laughter filled the room and once it died down, his eyes twinkled with some sort of fondness.

Your ‘heart’ fluttered and you felt your cheeks become hot.

What was happening? This wasn’t a part of your rehearsal!

“Well in that case, you’re no ordinary angel! You’re my guardian angel!”

-

You wished you didn’t meet him the fifth time.

Chaos reigned his room, doctors and nurses alike shouting over one another, footsteps thudding, machines beeping. Needles, tubes, bandages covered any inch of skin he had, numbers dwindling to a few in the end. You knew, despite being unconscious, the pain that he was going through was nothing short of excruciating.

You were relieved that he lived to see another day but that was just it, wasn’t it?

You didn’t know how many more days you had with him.

-

The seventh time you met him, you listened to him cry and became a place of solace for him to rely on. 

His loneliness, the silenced pain, everything that he kept in a bottle until it cracked and came in crashing waves.

Slowly, his sobs subsided and he pulled away from the hug, muttering an apology that he ruined your sweater. You humphed, slowly pulling him back into your embrace. Your hands remained intertwined with his, your silence comforted him in a way that words couldn’t, and you were so, so warm. 

You felt like home.

“Are you sure you’re not an angel?” He chuckled weakly. You smiled coyly, squeezing his hand.

“I’ll be your angel if you’d want.”

You fell asleep in each other’s arms that night.

-

“Brave little thing, aren’t you? Willing to wager with the Devil himself?” Doyoung’s lips threatened to twitch at your determined face. 

“I’m not here to play games. Tell me why he sold his soul to you.” The words tasted bitter on your tongue but you had to get them out. You needed to know.

You needed to know why his soul called out to Doyoung that night, the Devil standing in the shadow-filled corner of his room, a grin glinting within the darkness before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Malice filled chortles taunted your ears, his smirk agonizingly irritating to you. You wanted to rip it off. There was nothing stopping you, this was the mortal plane after all. You shook your head clear of the thoughts.

No.

Remember, you were here for Yukhei.

“For an angel, aren’t you _dumb _?” He hissed mockingly, forked tongue swishing. “Can’t you see the foolish cretin fell in love with you?” His words shouldn’t make you relieved, it shouldn’t make you rejoice. It should fill you with dread, that he, a mortal, fell in love with a heavenly body.__

____

____

But it did.

“Why would you care anyways? Shouldn’t you be done with him? His business lane switched to mine.” You remained quiet, the fire in your eyes slowly burning out.

“Oh, don’t tell me. The guardian angel fell in love with the human charge and vice versa?” Doyoung cackled. “Oh, I haven’t had this exciting entertainment since the stock market crash of 1929!”

Growls ripped through your throat. In a flash of electric blue light, you had your spear up to his throat, mouth curled into a sneer. Doyoung dropped his grin for an unimpressed, raised eyebrow look and pushed away the spear with a finger.

“That won’t land anything but a scratch on me. Fine, if you’re so desperate to know, he sold his soul so that he could be fully healthy again. Just to live out a white picket fence life with _you _.”__

____

____

You couldn’t believe your eyes. No, he had to be lying. That was his job, he was the Devil.

“Oh, I don’t do lying, dear. I hate _liars _.”__

____

____

“You…healed him?” 

“Of course. After all, you can’t do anything, can you? All you ’guardian angels’ ever do is watch over them. Isn’t that your job? To _watch _?”__

____

____

With a snap of his fingers, Doyoung was gone in a puff of black clouds before you could say anything, and you were left at the end of your crossroads.

You didn’t know whether to scream or cry.

-

“I’m getting discharged today! They said my illness is completely cured and gone! How cool is that?” Yukhei’s bubbly tone didn’t make you feel happy, not that it should. His smile didn’t make your heart flutter, not that it should. His mere presence didn’t make your cheeks bloom red, not that it should.

Right?

_Not anymore. ___

____

____

His smile faltered at your unusually unresponsive self. Yukhei took your hand in his and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. Like how you did with him all those nights that he used to spend all alone, but you were there to save him from the darkest parts of his mind. The least he could do was help you too.

If you’d like to, he’d want that for the rest of his life and yours.

“Hey, can I tell you something?” You perked up at this and tried to pull a smile for his sake, nodding wordlessly.

“Um, it’s completely cool if you say no, of course. I just wanted to say that, well, I really, really like you and I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me?”

Out of all the reactions that he expected, tears, unhappy tears, were quite possibly at the end of his list.

“You…You don’t know, do you?” You whispered hoarsely. They streamed down, scorching and painful, and you didn’t know how to stop them. No matter how much you wipe them away, they kept falling.

“Um, no?”

That just angered you more.

“You…stupid idiot! Do you even know what you’ve done?! Becoming friends with _him?! Making a deal with _him _?!”___

_____ _

_____ _

Then it clicked.

Were you talking about that man?

The one who promised him that he could give Yukhei back his life before this? Before white rooms and medicine were all his memories consist of? And in return, he wanted something from Yukhei?

How did you know?

“W-wait! He gave me my health back! He said that he’ll think of it when I offered something to pay him back!”

A horrified gasp left you, your legs giving out before you, and you fell back on your seat. You were just about to abandon this form and leave for Heaven, your sanity a fine thread that was a snip away from snapping.

“ _You _offered to _him _?”____

_____ _

_____ _

Everything around you was melting into one another. You couldn’t tell the difference between the floor and the wall, the flowers wilted to their own will. The clock stopped ticking. Your breath quickened, hands gripping your shirt’s hem. 

You failed your mission.

You failed the Heavens.

You failed yourself.

And,

You failed Yukhei.

“But, but it’s okay now! I’m okay! And we can meet each other every day now!”

And it snapped.

“No! We can’t!” You had to use every fiber in your celestial self to not cave in to his kicked-puppy expression, his hands slowly dropping into his lap.

“Why…Why not?”

“Because your darling here is an angel.” 

From his corner, Doyoung let out a laugh at the dark look that took over your face. “Oh really, there’s no need for animosity, we’re _friendsss _, aren’t we?”__

____

____

“You shut your filthy snake mouth before I impale you, Doyoung.” You said menacingly, spear materializing in your hands. He chuckled, sauntering his way over to you.

“How disappointing, isn’t it? And not just any angel, they’re your guardian angel.”

Yukhei gaped at the revelation. You…were his guardian angel? All this time, he was right, after all? Horrific realisation sunk in. That was how you knew. That was why you were so upset. That was why…

“Well, now that he knows his fate is practically a dead end,” Doyoung grabbed Yukhei’s arm harshly and Yukhei trembled when he saw red swirling in his snake eyes, “let’s just make it quick, why don’t we?”

The floor before you crumbled into a hole, where screams of the damned could be heard, the crackling of chains whipping, fire ablaze. This wasn’t Hell, a mere gateway to it, for the true horrors laid down below in the seventh circle of the Earth. 

And he was going to make Yukhei go through until the end of time.

Doyoung threw him down into it and a screeching ‘no’ escaped your lips, shattering glass into flying fragments. Without a second thought, you dived down the hole, hissing when Hell’s embers scorched the tips of your wings. 

_Just a little more. ___

____

____

Your hands reached out for him, almost there but not quite, fingertips brushing against him. A powerful rush of your wings closed the distance and you gripped his shoulders, prepared to pull him out of there. 

Only, you couldn’t.

Chains and shackles from below wrapped themselves around him, preventing your actions. No matter how hard you pulled, they wouldn’t let him go. You couldn’t even make a dent on them with your grace. 

Your hope was diminishing, and the tears fell again. A sharp pain in your wings caused you to gasp. The feathers floated around you…You were molting. You were _molting _.__

____

____

_No no no no NO NO NO! ___

____

____

You were falling from grace.

It was hopeless.

There was nothing that you could do.

“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry, Yukhei.” You wept, cradling his face in one hand and leaning your forehead against his. If only he’d open those doe eyes, you wanted to see them one last time. You wanted to see them look at you with love. One last time.

“I’m not one to make deals that has a losing rate for me.” Doyoung’s voice snapped you out of your trance, his torn, bat-like wings overshadowing your feathered ones. “But I’ll make an exception for you.”

“Wh-what?” He sighed, snake eyes looking at her gentler than you had ever seen. 

“I’ve never seen someone so willing to save their love from Perdition, much less an angel. It’s…admirable, to say the least.” Doyoung said, eyes misting over with an emotion you had seen way too many times.

Yearning. Nostalgia, even.

The slightest hint of love.

“Here’s the deal. He’ll take over in Hell, as my successor and its’ new Prince. I only ask for you to send this,” A letter appeared in his hand, “to its’ addressed and for you to ask a second chance to save him again from the Archangels. Come save him once more. Should you succeed, only then will I set him free for you to take.”

“There’s a catch to this, isn’t there?” Doyoung nodded.

“Memories of his past life and, of course, what happened here will be erased. Including you. Do we have a deal?”

Don’t make deals with the Devil.

It was common sense. You didn’t need to be an angel to know that.

“No deals. It’s a promise.” You said with absolute resolution in your tone. For the first time, you saw a genuine smile light up Doyoung’s features as you took the letter from him. He snapped his fingers and the chains disappeared, an unseen force gently taking Yukhei from your arms.

“Of course. You better keep it, though.”

“I’ll see him again, no matter what.”

-

Jaehyun wasn’t one to stick his nose in others’ business. But he was Fate’s companion, he tied the strings themselves. it was essentially his job to get involved with others, with you. Especially you. 

Your string was, undeniably, the most peculiar that Jaehyun had ever seen and the way it ended perturbed him to the point he considered changing it completely. Yet who was he to divert Fate’s orders?

Jaehyun gasped at the state of your wings. Feathers missing, scorched in different places, black patches of ash everywhere. When he looked at your blistered hands, his worst fears were deemed true.

“Oh…Oh, darling. You didn’t.” He whispered, taking them in his hands. The skin was red and angry, he could see some trickles of blood coming out from the cracks. He let his grace flow through you and watched the skin repair as good as new. You mumbled a weak ‘thanks’, reaching into your pocket for the letter.

“I’m only stopping by to give you this.” You put the letter in his hand, a familiar insignia on it that called out to him. His memories resonated from the corners of his mind and hands trembling, he opened the envelope.

You left Jaehyun to be alone. He needed it. Even more so when he fell to his knees, sobbing his heart out, the letter crumpled by his side.

-

To corrupt an angel was no laughing matter.

It required meticulous planning and precise actions, long hours and laborious months, years even. Only the Kings had succeeded in doing so, and even then, the numbers were scarce. One wrong move and it was all over. When Heaven sends down their exterminators, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.

So, to receive news that he needed to do the very thing that he feared he might do one day, Yukhei thought that life just wasn’t fair, was it?

Or was it fair in the way that you never asked for?

Recovering from his shock, Yukhei nodded, swishing his hand in an attempt to look disinterested. “Is that all?”

He missed the spark igniting in Jungwoo’s eyes when he stood up to his full height. A file manifested before him in a flash of flames, gently fluttering onto his lap.

“It contains the details of the angel they want you to corrupt. Rumor has it that they’re a candidate to be the next Archangel, with high rates of success.” He smirked. “You’re encouraged to get rid of them and steal their grace, my liege.”

What were the odds that it was _you _?__

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Why _you _, of all people?__

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Your smiling photograph made something inside of him stir. He made a promise to himself that no harm would ever fall upon you. Would he turn out to be the harm that he vowed to go against? 

His hands gripped the file with such a grip until the papers tore at the edges and he thought, why not just go all the way? He shredded the file until it was nothing but dust. Even so, he burned it to ashes, letting it fly out the window. A glare made itself present, directed towards the demon in front of him.

“Stop wasting my time. I don’t need to do such a thing.”

Jungwoo’s smirk turned vicious. 

“I see how it is.”

Click went his fingers. Dejun manifested inside the room on its’ floor, hair unruly with flower petals, their pastel shades stark against the blood that dripped down his forehead and face. Unconscious and chained, it was clear what he wanted.

But they realised it too late.

In the blink of an eye, both Doyoung and Yukhei were chained and on their knees. 

“Pathetic, all of you. Such high authorities yet you fell in love with an _angel _?” Jungwoo spat, the word ‘angel’ coated in venomous abhorrence. “Two Princes, and one Knight, Leader of the First Division, no less!”__

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A swish of his wrist sent Yukhei and Doyoung flying to the wall, shouts escaping them. “Yet the _audacity _of you all to meddle with the likes of them!” He snarled, landing a kick to Dejun’s abdomen that sent him flying to the adjacent wall.__

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“No!” Yukhei yelled, struggling to free himself. It was no use, the chains had sigils carved in them, glowing with a spell.

His boots clacked against the floor as he walked up to Yukhei, eyes narrowed and gaze striking through him.

“You’re a disappointment. You’re the Prince, you rule Hell. You’re supposed to be the epitome of evil but no. You betrayed your own people, you betrayed yourself. You’re nothing but a sack of useless shit.”

Jungwoo turned to Doyoung, spitting on his face. “You’re no different, handing Hell over to a spineless chicken wing like him. It’s sickening.”

The saccharine smile that curled his lips held no remorse for them, eyes hollow and cold. “Oh, how Hell will rejoice once you’re executed.” 

“I don’t even want to know why you’re doing this.” Yukhei said.

Jungwoo’s eyes flared, his smile turned into a sneer. His hand flew and slapped Yukhei. “Look at you. You dare call yourself Prince of Hell? You’ve tainted the crown, you’re not even worthy of the throne. You ruined Hell, even little Dejun’s following your footsteps.” 

He drew in close to Yukhei’s face, smug like a spoiled cat on a golden throne.

“ _Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? _”__

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“Blah, blah, the bad guy really needs an exposition, don’t they?” A familiar voice snorted.

Jungwoo whipped his head towards the source and growled at the sight. A gasp of relief escaped Doyoung and a breathless utter of your name fell from Yukhei’s lips.

Lo and behold, there you were, Hendery by your side. Not quite so angelic with your casual, human clothes but the spear in your hands and the scythe in Hendery’s were not humane in the slightest bit.

“Guanheng, this isn’t the time to be playing.” You said, pinching the bridge of your nose. He gave a small laugh and a playful nudge to your side.

Guanheng?

Ah, so this was the angel for Dejun?

He eyed the fox charm dangling from Guanheng’s neck, exuding Grace, and smiled a little. A sealing charm, huh? Not bad, not bad at all.

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he heard a voice, your voice.

_Yukhei, sweetheart, I love you but you do remember that you’re the Prince, right? You’re above him, you can escape from the chains while I distract him. Doyoung too. ___

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_I can? ___

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_Yukhei. He only mentioned it a bajillion times in his, frankly, boring speech. ___

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_…Wait, you love me? ___

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_YUKHEI. ___

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“Ugh, you know what, this is taking too long.” Guanheng huffed. Just as he was about to take a step, he stopped when Dejun came into sight, his battered body still unconscious. His grip on his scythe tightened, and if looks could kill, Jungwoo would’ve been dead ten times over.

Jungwoo scoffed. “Stop putting on a show. You’re just a flimsy angel, compared to your partner over there. You won’t ever amount to them.” He jerked his head towards you, chuckling lowly when he saw Guanheng flinch.

“Come on, you really think that-“

“You just never shut up, do you?” Guanheng said, sticking out his tongue in mock disgust.

Enraged, Jungwoo was about to raise his hand-

He couldn’t move.

He couldn’t feel or move his body, no matter how much he tried.

Was it that damned angel? Guanheng? But he was lowly, he couldn’t hold that much power.

Until he set eyes on you.

And that was when he knew what fear was.

Blood dripped down his cheeks, an eardrum shattering scream rippling through the air as his insides were being twisted and crushed. The unknown force holding him disappeared but all that he could do was succumb to what was destroying him from the inside, crumbling to the floor like a rag doll. His face contorted into a vague sign for you to stop, to show mercy.

You did not cease.

You shall not.

For he dared to harm your beloved.

And you shall show him a hell that he was not born in but condemned to.

It wasn’t until a familiar warmth cloaked you, one that you had been waiting for years ongoing, a familiar voice whispering to you ‘I’m okay, it’s okay now’ that you reverted back to your normal self. 

Taking note of the supposedly unconscious Jungwoo on the floor, you rubbed your head, feeling a slight throbbing. The chains from before wrapped themselves around him like a constrictor boa. Doyoung pursed his lips, he knew those surely won’t tame him, and snapped his fingers, Jungwoo disappearing within the blink of an eye.

“Oof, that was a real doozy.” Yukhei stared at you, mouth gaped open like a halibut out of water. Doyoung made himself useful and closed it for him, but he wouldn’t admit that he, too, was impressed.

“ _That _was a distraction?” Guanheng puffed out his chest, well, as much as he could with Dejun cradled in his arms.__

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“That’s my partner, all right! The best of the best!”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” 

You heard Guanheng mutter ‘party pooper’ under his breath and slapped his upper arm lightly. You all turned to the new guest, none other than Fate’s companion himself. 

Jaehyun didn’t seem too pleased to be here but to see you and Guanheng alive and well was relieving at least. The news that he brought over from Heaven courtesy of the Archangels were not, however. He said your name and you let out a sigh, meeting his eyes.

You felt Yukhei holding your hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of it. Your eyes stung a little bit.

“You know what’s going to happen next, right?”

Of course you did. It was inevitable after all that you’ve done. Yet to know it was going to happen and to have it happen right in front of you were two things with completely different stories. The fact that Guanheng had to go through it too filled you with remorse and you couldn’t help but send an apologetic glance towards him.

“Is it going to hurt?” Jaehyun’s eyelids fluttered, casting his gaze to the ground. “Of course it is, I’m dumb for asking that in the first place.” You laughed weakly in an attempt to cheer yourself up.

The tears that fell contradicted it and you found yourself sobbing into your hands, weeping for your and Guanheng’s fate.

“Guanheng, I’m so sorry, you shouldn’t have to…Oh, Guanheng…” 

His scent wafted and you reached out blindly for him, embracing him for what seemed to be the last time. Guanheng hummed a tune, rocking back and forth on his heels. You recognised it; the song that he was singing was stuck in his head for weeks when he went to go see a movie on the mortal plane, a song of the river that held memories.You let him give you comfort in these final moments.

You wished it could last.

Jaehyun cleared his throat, not wanting to interrupt but he feared that if it went on longer, he wouldn’t find the courage in him to do it. He wished that it wasn’t him who had to do it.

“It’s only fair,” The First Archangel said, “that the one who ties the strings be the one who cuts them off.”

So, this was it.

The end of Heaven’s road for you and Guanheng.

“Wait.” Doyoung called out just as Jaehyun reached out for you two.

He took your hands in his, giving you the same genuine smile he did all those years ago. Would you ever get to see it again? You hoped so.

“Thank you for keeping your promise.” He whispered. Your eyes widened as he stepped back, the smile still there on his lips. You felt Jaehyun tug on your sleeve and you faced him again, eyes pleading even though it was futile.

“No time, we have to do it now.”

Yukhei stood there, a war raging inside of him. When he thought you were finally safe in his arms…

He didn’t want to say goodbye.

He didn’t want to lose you.

_Not again. ___

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A bell chimed from the far, forgotten corners of his mind and a dull throbbing, akin to a migraine, made itself present in him. It chimed again, only this time it wasn’t a bell.

It was…your voice?

_I’m not an angel, just some stranger passing through. ___

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A sharp pang rattled his chest. He gripped the fabric over his ‘heart’, tears welling up in his eyes. What was going on?

A vague memory of you smiling at him, flowers next to you on a hospital table.

_I don’t want you to feel alone. ___

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He clutched his hair, the migraine growing stronger by the second. The tears trickled out. It was getting unbearable. A scream, but was it yours or his? He couldn’t tell.

_I’ll be your angel if you’d want. ___

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When he looked up, all he saw was a blurry figure going limp in Jaehyun’s arms before another wave of pain hit him. He let out a high pitched whine, slowly crumbling to the floor, his head throbbing as if it were to crack open any minute.

_I’ll see him again, no matter what. ___

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The world was becoming darker. Just before he closed his eyes, Doyoung’s apologetic face came into view and his hand cradled Yukhei’s cheek.

And a deep, deep hush fell over everything.

-

You weren’t one for sweet drinks or coffee but your friend absolutely insisted that you drop by the cafe that she had recently frequented. It wasn’t a popular cafe but it was well-known enough as a street treasure, located just a few blocks down from your campus. It wasn’t a conversation with her unless she mentioned it to you.

Her constant bugging irritated you and you had enough of it. You’ll just pop in, say hi and be off on your way. Nothing more, just for your friend to shut up about it. 

You didn’t expect to be the one who had no words when you saw the barista.

Perhaps you could say the same thing for him because he too didn’t say anything to you when your turn came to order. All he did was stare at you with bug eyes, the question circulating your mind practically floating above his head.

_Do I know you? ___

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His sloppily put on name tag was carved with his name. A name that pulled at your heartstrings, resonating within you.

_Guanheng. ___

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“You feel…familiar.” You finally uttered after a moment and he laughed, dying down to a smile. 

“Gee, I thought I was the only one who felt it! Do you think we’ve met before?” His happiness was contagious and you couldn’t resist from smiling back at him.

“Perhaps.” 

When you got your order, it was with a number written haphazardly across it and a message.

_I don’t think we’re strangers at all! xx ___

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And when you walked out of the line and turned around, as cliche as it may be, time slowed for you when you locked eyes with _him _. If Guanheng’s name plucked your heartstrings, the mere sight of _him _played a melody that called out to you. He froze in his tracks, eyes sparkling with some sort of recognition? Realisation?____

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He approached you first, slowly, as if you were a frightened deer and you didn’t dare to breathe once he was in front of you. His head tilted to the side, doe eyes searching for something in you. Like you held the keys to all the mysteries in his life.

“I’ve met you before.” He said with confidence, beaming like the sun blessed in human form. “Well, I don’t think here but I’ve definitely met you before!”

You returned the smile, eyes fluttering shyly to the ground at the sudden declaration. Yet you can’t help but wonder if he was right because you, too, felt it. A sense of affinity between you and him, like the red strings of Fate tied to two ends, you didn’t deny it.

“Oh, where are my manners?’ He held out his hand for you to shake, and you took it. “I’m Wong Yukhei!” You told him yours and his smile grew wider, until his eyes turned to crescent moons. Your heart thumped in your ears, your cheeks becoming hot.

“Beautiful, just like you!”

You were about to say something when someone burst through the front door, a soft floral scent following him. He ran up to the counter, panting when he stopped, and craned his neck to see behind the counters. In his arms were a bouquet, beautifully arranged and wrapped and you’ve come to know that those kinds of bouquets weren’t for any ordinary person. It was for _the _person.__

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“Dejun?” Yukhei called out but the flower boy paid no mind. Yukhei shook his head fondly, turning back to you. “He’s here to visit his boyfriend.”

His statement was proven true when the said ‘boyfriend’, who was in fact Guanheng, popped up behind the counter, hands on his hips, looking rather indignant in his forest green apron.

“I’m on work hours! And you can’t just barge in like that, you’ll break the door!” Guanheng nagged, the flower boy, Dejun, smiling sheepishly and handing the bouquet to him. A bright, bright blush flared on Guanheng’s face that put even the reddest tomatoes to shame.

His eyes trailed to you and Yukhei smiling and giggling mischievously at him and his embarrassment levels shot through the roof, and he pointed an accusing finger towards you two.

“Oh no! Yukhei, if you say a word, I will not hesitate to ruin your drink the next time you order!” The threat worked, eliciting whines from him as Guanheng mimicked him with a high pitched, cartoony voice. A warmth took over you, something you realised as love, something so familiar, so at place, like a puzzle completed after a piece was missing for so long.

Well, maybe it was Fate that you ended up here, or just a persistent friend. Either way, you were grateful for it. This felt nice, it felt right, even if it had been less than a day that you’ve met each other. That was okay, you still had time to spare, you were sure.

It felt like home.

And when Yukhei looked at you with mirth and adoration, as if he had fallen in love with you a thousand times over, you think to yourself that maybe, just maybe, that home was him. 

“You don’t mind this, right?” Yukhei asked, rubbing the back of your hand with his thumb. You shook your head, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

“Not really, no.”

And that was fine by you.

-

Two strangers were passing by, not a single soul minded them as they watched the world pass by. Not quite the world but rather their eyes were on the four friends finally reunited in a small, treasured cafe by the corner. 

They would be safe, they would be happy. For these two strangers would be the ones who’d make sure of it . A promise made, not a deal.

“Do you think this was a good idea?” Jaehyun spoke up, uncertainty written in his voice. Doyoung smiled soothingly, placing a comforting hand on his upper arm.

“They’ll be fine. They’ve gone through enough to be granted this life. They deserve it.” His words calmed Jaehyun a little bit. He couldn’t help but feel guilt whenever he looked at you, yet perhaps, this was for the best. Like Doyoung said, you deserved it.

He always was right.

“I still wonder why the Archangels agreed to this.” Jaehyun sighed but smiled anyways, gazing up the cloud laced sky. Doyoung chuckled, his wings fluttering in the wind, brushing up against Jaehyun’s. Their hands intertwined, strings no longer tied by fear. 

“The Second Archangel always did have a soft spot for them, yes? The little angel that Yukhei loves so much. And it was about time they stteled old feuds.” Jaehyun hummed in agreement, turning to face Doyoung. 

“What does this make us?” Doyoung gave a shrug, the spring breeze gently caressing their skin, and he leaned his head against Jaehyun’s shoulder. He pressed a kiss against Doyoung’s head, content and blissful.

The silence was more than enough of an answer for the both of them.

Heaven’s story for them ended. It was time for them to write one on their own and together, all at the same time.


End file.
